The scannable codes on the new LEGO Technic Mighty Machines blind boxes are apparently missing in Australia, which is hopefully not a sign of things to come…
Each box of 42233 Mighty Machines includes one of eight different tiny Technic models at random, in much the same vein as Collectible Minifigures series. And just like the scannable codes on the bottom of those boxes, the packaging for LEGO Technic’s first blind-boxed series includes data matrix codes that can reveal their contents… in some regions.
According to redditor HighwaySubstantial85, 42233 Mighty Machines boxes in Australia do not carry the same scannable codes. The base of the box only has the regular barcode featured on all LEGO products, mirroring the approach of the very first blind-boxed Minifigures series (such as Marvel Series 2) before the LEGO Group introduced scannable codes.
That’s bad news for anyone in Australia hoping to circumvent the blind-boxed approach to 42233 Mighty Machines, and means you’re going to have to gamble on what’s inside (as the LEGO Group intended). It’s not the first time fans in the southern hemisphere have drawn the short straw for blind boxes: Collectible Minifigures series generally hit shelves a month later in Australia than other parts of the world.
What will be interesting to see now is whether future LEGO Minifigures series also begin to leave behind the data matrix codes. It’s hard to imagine they were a deliberate consumer-friendly move in the first place (what would be the point of blind boxes in that case?), so if the LEGO Group has found an alternate solution to whatever internal problem they were solving, well… that would be bad news for collectors.
We’ll know more once the next series of LEGO Minifigures, 71053 Shrek, arrives in stores. That’s due to happen on September 1, but pretty much every series winds up on shelves early someplace or other, so keep an eye out for them where you are over the next few weeks. They’ll likely arrive in Australia in October, and that may be the real litmus test for the fate of Minifigures codes.
42233 Mighty Machines is on shelves now worldwide, and in most other countries will be scannable with Brick Search – which can also still be used to scan and collect 71052 Series 29, the latest Minifigures series that’s due to retire at the end of August. Brick Search members get unlimited use of the minifigure scanner and its in-camera checklist.
Download Brick Search on iOS or Android now and become a member to unlock full use of the minifigure (and machine) scanner, 3% cashback on LEGO.com purchases and more.
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